The countdown starts for Words Unsaid: Book Five in the Shaken Series, due from Bella Books next month, April 15th. For those who like to re-read books in a series before a new one comes out, better get cracking! I just got a notice from my publisher to expect my author’s copies in just two […]

This is a joke, right? How does anyone find 10 things to celebrate in a year like 2020? I had an ambitious year planned with four events on my calendar — ClexaCon in Vegas, QFX in Tampa, Books & Boots in Dallas, and the annual hug-fest with my GCLS friends — ALL CANCELED. If that […]

Listening was never my strong suit, at least that’s what my teachers said. Apparently my brain was better suited for the written word than the audio, and that’s still true today. If you want me to remember something, best to write it down and hand it to me. But if you’re into podcasts, interviews and […]

After I released Mother Load in 2010, fans of the Shaken Series began to ask, “Any plans for Book 5?” I’ve said no for ten years, but I always added a caveat: “If the right story comes to me, I promise I’ll write it.” Well, guess what? I’ve been toying with this one for about […]

I first considered this question in 1972, when my brother’s two best friends turned 19 on the same day — December 4th — which happened to be #1 in the draft lottery. Both ended up going to Vietnam. I spent the next ~15 years trying to get on the right career track and discovering my […]

It’s a long tradition that I look back on each year and compile a Top 10 list of highlights. It’s fun to relive those special moments, and especially to push aside the troubles, conflicts and shortcomings. I’ve got to be honest though — I’m going to skip the Top 10 for 2019. I experienced a […]

My new book, The Lucky Ones, is set in Leland KY, a fictitious small town I first introduced years and years ago in The House on Sandstone. When it releases next week, those who shop at Bella Books will find a couple of extras: First, anyone who purchases TLO from Bella will also receive a […]

The Lucky Ones is a story about the place we call home. What does that mean? I find it’s different things to different people. For me, it’s different things at different times. “It’s where I grew up.” Except my dad was in the Marines and we moved a few times. I suppose I could have […]

THE LUCKY ONES Scarred by her mother’s betrayal, Brittany Iverson left home half a lifetime ago for the promise of California, with its vibrant, cosmopolitan lesbian community. She wouldn’t go back to Kentucky for a million dollars. But several million? That’s a different kettle of fish. All Britt has to do is help resurrect her […]

The 2019 GCLS conference is officially in the books, and what a week it was! I was excited to get home so I could share the news here on my blog, but I was greeted instead with a marked up manuscript of my upcoming book, The Lucky Ones. And a very short deadline for turning […]

It turns out my brain can only do one thing at a time. That “thing” was supposed to be writing a book, The Lucky Ones, due out this fall from Bella Books. Periodically, however — all right, much too often over these past three years — I’ve been sucked into the political news of the […]

I posted something provocative on Facebook the other day, something meant to challenge the prevailing perspective that’s been building for a couple of years as the Mueller investigation looked into the question of Russian interference in our 2016 election. We know from detailed indictments that Mueller found conclusive evidence that Russian operatives hacked into the […]

You have no idea how close I came to skipping the Top 10 list for 2018. If you’ve followed me on social media this year, you probably know this year’s main event was moving from my native North Carolina mountains to what I hope will be my final resting place — Nashville, Tennessee. The sheer […]

**UPDATED BELOW** Want to know what’s worse than a colonoscopy prep? TWO colonoscopy preps. I had my regularly scheduled procedure last week, and it revealed an abnormality the surgical team wasn’t prepared to deal with at the time. The best option was to biopsy and hope it turned out to be a benign case of […]

I remember the excitement of Fall 2016 when America was on the cusp of electing its first female president. Those of us who’d come of age in the women’s liberation movement were “Nasty Women,” jubilant over the chance to finally celebrate the shattering of that ultimate glass ceiling. More importantly, we were set to deal […]

If you listen to old white men, nostalgia means (among other things) a sentimental longing for the days when women were under their thumb; when gays, immigrants and people of color could be openly disparaged and discriminated against without consequence; and when our social, political and media culture constantly reinforced their dominion over all. They […]

I’ve written before about how important fiction is when it comes to setting cultural norms. I write lesbian romances with happy endings because that’s the narrative I want my readers to embrace. My characters overcome their struggles, they triumph over adversity, and the bad guys get what’s coming to them. There are plenty of other […]

But it’s my first audio. That’s right, my latest book — A Proper Cuppa Tea — is ready for a listen at Audible.com. That definitely calls for a freebie or two, don’t you think? Leave a comment here on the blog by Wednesday, August 1st — I’ll draw a name at random for a free […]